The Miko Jumped Over the Moon
by nowyouseemenowyoudont
Summary: Responses to the Child's Play prompts on LJ. Inuyasha gets cursed, leaving Sesshoumaru and Kagome to deal with the consequences.
1. Dance in the Rain

They were, needless to say, stunned into a terse silence. The half light of the dawning sun filtered down on the two groups that had met in the clearing and bared the bizarre truth to their disbelieving eyes.

The shard hunt, as ever, had led to some unexpected happenings, least of all the joining of Sesshoumaru's pack with their little rag-tag group. But this, this took the biscuit.

They had happened across a meadow that was said to be cursed; the lone voice of a woman singing could be heard every night of the waning moon. Her voice beautiful but ethereal had driven away the village that had recently lived to the west and the village that dwelled in the north had requested their services.

So- due to the possibility of shards being involved- the newly enlarged group had made their way down towards the clearing.

What they hadn't expected was a ghost. Actually, it was the ghost of a Yokai seer who had tossed her silkily honeysuckle hair at them and declared them an 'unsuitable audience' for her song.

Inuyasha had immediately taken umbrage at her comment and, proving her right, proceeded to cuss at her violently until Kagome shut him up with a healthy dose of sitting.

The ghost had taken and intense and sudden dislike to their badmouthed Hanyou (he seemed to have that effect on people). With the last vestiges of her waning power she had declared a curse on him.

"Until you have matured enough to allow the destinies to align, you will fall to the childish antics you display"

It had been a vague statement, yet it was delivered with such passion and rage. So when a blinding blue light engulfed their Hanyou friend they hadn't been surprised.

They were, however, stunned a few moments later, as the light dimmed and allowed them the privilege to see once again.

Where Inuyasha had one stood there was a pile of much abused fire-rat robes. The Tessaiga lay innocently on the ground.

Their first thoughts were that maybe the ghost had killed him, but that thought was quashed quickly as the bundle of clothes twitched and a pair of golden, very large eyes, stared up at Kagome for she was nearest to the bundle.

"Momma?" the bundle inquired in a tiny tremulous voice.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked in return.

Taking this for confirmation, the tiny bundle moved again and a tiny toddler, who was also naked, jumped at Kagome and wrapped its tiny arms around her neck.

"Momma!" the child squealed happily as Kagome reflexively wrapped her arms around the child. He was naked and it was freezing, so Kagome abruptly walked over to her bag- as if on autopilot as she hadn't quite realised what was even happening yet- and pulled out a blanket.

Swaddling the small child in the gigantic, and ironically red, blanket she turned to her friends. "What in the world?" she asked.

"Is that Inuyasha?" Shippo enquired as he hopped onto Kagome's shoulder. The Miko and the Yokai both peered down into the child's face and he blinked at them innocently.

There was no denying this was Inuyasha: the same large, golden, expressive, eyes; the same heavy curtain of white hair; the same tiny twitching dog ears atop his fluffy head. Kagome tentatively, as if afraid he would revert back to his normal form and yell at her, reached out and stroked a tiny ear. The toddler giggled and flicked the appendage and she smiled warmly in return.

"Slightly more friendly," Kagome proclaimed, "but definitely Inuyasha"

"The child still smells like the half-breed" Sesshoumaru offered.

"Inuyasha is a child now?" Miroku turned thoughtful. "I didn't know a spirit was capable of such a thing. The power she had left behind should have been residual form her death, not nearly enough to do that." He gestured at Inuyasha helplessly.

Sango bit her lip in worry for her friend.

Sesshoumaru interjected calmly. "The spirit was a demon, therefore more powerful even once deceased. You also fail to take into account that she was a seer; that increases her power exponentially"

"So she's cursed Inuyasha into a child?" Kagome asked, her shocked expression shifting into one of panic.

"It would seem so." the Yokai nodded his head gravely and snuck a glance at the Miko to make sure she wasn't hyperventilating or something equally as foolish.

"Indefinitely?" Sango asked in horror.

"Until he has gained the lessons he needs to allow destiny to happen" Miroku reminded her. "Not indefinitely."

Shippo rolled his eyes. "But he has to learn something!" he protested "Inuyasha is allergic to learning stuff!"

Kagome stroked the top of the child's head and smiled as he purred and leaned into her hand. She had a brief wicked thought of Sesshoumaru allowing her to do that to him and blushed slightly."I think that this miniature version of Inuyasha will be perfectly willing."

Miroku smiled softly. "It would seem so"

"We should stop looking for the shards until Inuyasha is better" Sango decided "we can't do this without him."

Kagome nodded softly "How about we go back to Kaede's village and set up camp in the meadow west of it?"

"Sounds good." Miroku nodded his agreement.

"What about you Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome asked shyly. "Will you be coming?"

He gave her a disinterested look. "There is nothing else to do." He acquiesced.

They began moving, Rin, finding the new tiny Inuyasha completely fascinating, walked beside Kagome merely to gaze at the cherub-like face of the toddler.

The silence was peaceful, instead of strained as it probably has been considering the group consisted of old enemies. But without Inuyasha's constant grumbling the air seemed cleaner and the group more relaxed.

As the crested the hill that over looked Kaede's village the heavens opened. Rin squealed and ran to hide in the blankets on the dragon steed.

The child in Kagome's arms wrinkled his nose and snuffled for a moment before letting out a small wail as the rain increased in intensity.

They were all completely saturated within seconds as the rain began to fall hard enough that the group looked like they had just been for a rather bizarre clothed swim in a lake.

Kagome blushed as Sesshoumaru's clothes –purest white silks- abruptly became see through, never noticing the way his own gaze was riveted on her equally see through shirt.

The little one began to cry with vengeance as the sound of the rushing rain reached his sensitive ears.

Kagome laughed, a happy bubbly noise that made the babe blink up at her in confusion, and she spun across the grass off the hill laughing again in delight as the rain caressed her face.

The babe made a sound of confused delight. "Momma!"

"Rain, rain," she chanted as she touched her nose to his. "go away, come again another day!"

At her words, as if waiting for her command, the brief shower stopped as abruptly as it had begun and the sun shone through the clouds once more.

Spinning back to face the group in surprised delight, Kagome grinned, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glittering. She was magnificent.

And not even Sesshoumaru could deny it. As much as he had tried...

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha.


	2. Hey diddle diddle do you have a fiddle?

Hey diddle, diddle do you have a fiddle?

It had been four weeks since the curse had been cast and the group learnt, soon after the initial cursing, that Inuyasha was only around four months old. Sesshoumaru revealed to them that his impressive ability to jump was merely a product of being partially Yokai; he developed faster. He could only say the one thing; 'Momma' and actually refused to walk, only ever jumping to cling to Kagome's neck and crawling.

He still wore the beads of subjugation but Kagome was unwilling to test and see if they still worked when he was cursed; there was no way she was going to abuse a child!

Sesshoumaru had procured the child a tiny replica of his original fire-rat robe, much to the complete astonishment of everyone. When asked why he had told them that Hanyou's were weak enough to die from exposure to the elements.

They accepted his reasoning but Kagome secretly found his providing for Inuyasha sweet. Not that she would ever tell him that.

Inuyasha had an extreme affection for biting Jaken, which everyone except Jaken found amusing, and grew increasingly attached to both Kagome and Sesshoumaru, to Sesshoumaru's disgust.

The babe couldn't get enough of the Taiyokai and followed him around as best as he was able. Sometimes Sesshoumaru was able to bully the baby into crawling, crying and whimpering, back to Kagome who, in turn, would scold the mighty Taiyokai.

That was an event in and of itself. Kagome scolding someone who was around a foot taller than her, who carried two swords and who, emitted immense amounts of youki; whilst she was carrying a baby, was truly a sight to behold. It sounded ludicrous, but was actually developing into something of a spectator sport for the rest of the group.

Kagome, who had been collecting water for the rice, came back into the clearing in time to see Inuyasha crawl over the Sesshoumaru, who sat there, leaning against his chosen tree, looking haughty.

The child was brandishing a spoon and a dish at the Taiyokai and sporadically banging them together when Sesshoumaru ignored him.

Kagome chuckled merrily at the sight and, plucking the bowl from the baby, she plopped it onto Sesshoumaru's head. It fell rakishly over one eye as he glowered at her menacingly.

She laughed again at the menace in his eyes.

"Miko" he cautioned.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" she giggled. She picked up the babe and bounced him on her hip. Inuyasha batted the dish with his spoon and gurgled.

"Miko." Sesshoumaru growled.

She laughed and sat Inuyasha on his lap. Before twirling away to bow before him.

"Might I regale you with a story?"

He raised an eyebrow as the pup bit his right index finger hungrily.

"Inu-chan, listen!" she commanded.

The pup looked up at her innocently and released the finger he had been gnawing on.

"Hey diddle, diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon, the little dog laughed" Inuyasha barked happily "to see such fun and the dish ran away with the spoon"

The pup picked up the dish and banged it on Sesshoumaru's knee for emphasis.

"You tell strange stories Miko" Sesshoumaru interjected.

She frowned a little. "I guess they are very western," a smile blossomed across her pretty face. "but you are the lord of the west aren't you?"

"Hn" he acknowledged.

"Then it is appropriate to share them with you." she grinned wickedly. "You don't happen to have a fiddle hidden in your kimono do you?"

The look he gave her would have reduced an ordinary human to tears; Kagome- who seemed to be the exception to all definitions of normal- began to laugh. It was a deep laugh that emanated from her belly and bubbled over her lips, her eyes sparkled happily.

Sesshoumaru titled his head to the side slightly, delighting in the sound. The sound was intoxicating and indescribably soothing to a soul as old as Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha, deciding he had been ignored long enough, abruptly shoved the spoon up Sesshoumaru's nose. Effectively killing his moment of peace.

This time Kagome's laughter reduced her to tears. The startled look on Sesshoumaru's face was priceless!

Pulling the spoon form his nose sharply, Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and wondered why he still adored the sound even when she was laughing at him. It was one of those wondrous things about her, her ability to make him feel content.

He had never truly felt contentment until he had begun spending time with the Miko. It was a strange feeling, like sitting beside a warm fire in a fragrant meadow, and not one he was entirely comfortable with. It made him feel like he was liable to be pounced upon by a stray Yokai. It made him feel vulnerable.

And that was something Sesshoumaru tried to avoid at all costs. He had been adept at it until he had met her. But she changed things, changed people. She had made lonely people happy, made rude people caring, gave lonely people a family.

Change was what she did, and the Taiyokai was not sure whether he was quite ready for that.

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha.


	3. Goose!

"And that's a dog." Kagome pointed at her drawing of a dog. Inuyasha gurgled happily. "What noise does a dog make?"

Sesshoumaru, who was sat against a tree, growled in frustration. They had been at this all day and the pup had done nothing more than try and eat his feet a few times. He supposed it was better than when he tried to eat Jaken, the small toad always came running to him when the Hanyou used him as a chew toy, as if Sesshoumaru was going to help him.

Kagome chuckled. "That, Inu-chan, is the noise a dog makes when it's angry" she pulled and angry face at Inuyasha who looked at her in horror. She giggled and hugged him tightly before he could cry.

"This one is not angry," Sesshoumaru stated. "Merely frustrated with the tedious nature of the exercise."

It had been nearly two months since Inuyasha's initial cursing and they were all becoming somewhat accustomed to normal everyday life. The demons that came for them were few and far between, they weren't hunting for any shards and Naraku was all but silent. It was a peaceful reprieve that they all felt grateful for.

Sesshoumaru, much to his ire, could not even say he was discontent to stay in one place for such a long duration of time. Normally a wanderer and a travelling soul he was often restless after staying in a place for too long. In that sense he was glad that as a demon he was not required to live inside a shelter until he found a mate. Then he would have to settle down into a permanent residence, he repressed a shudder merely thinking about it.

"He has to learn" Kagome smiled happily. It seemed that since Inuyasha had been cursed all she could do was smile; she preferred this version of her best friend, even if it was selfish, he was happier and she was actually managing to establish some kind of relationship with Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha would never have allowed it.

Yes, she was happy. And if Inuyasha came out of this curse more mature than when he had started then it was just another bonus.

"He already knows all this Miko," Sesshoumaru huffed in annoyance. "he has grown up once"

She scowled at him and stuck her tongue out. "This, Inuyasha, is a duck."

"A duck?" Sesshoumaru asked raising a regal eyebrow.

"Yeah." Kagome was defensive, "So what?"

"It looks like a goose." he stated bluntly.

"How can you even tell?" she asked wrinkling her nose at him.

"A duck is a duck," he sighed and glared at the blue sky. "and a goose is a different matter entirely."

"I'd like to see you draw a five minute sketch of a duck and have it be perfect." she retorted folding her arms and sticking her chin in the air haughtily.

"Is that a challenge?" his eyes glinted dangerously.

Kagome took a moment to consider her hasty words. This was Sesshoumaru, perfectionist extraordinaire, the one person guaranteed to never back down from a challenge, and she had challenged him to draw an anatomically correct duck.

It was many levels of bizarre.

The ridiculousness of the situation finally caught up with her and Kagome snickered. "No, I believe you, it's a goose"

Was it just her or did a spark of disappointment flare in his eyes when she called off the challenge? "Unless you really want to draw a duck" she cajoled.

Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Rin came back from gathering supplies in the village to find a most peculiar sight.

Inuyasha was eating a daisy, which was weird in its own right.

But, stranger still, Kagome and Sesshoumaru were sat, practically in each other's laps, arguing about ducks and geese whilst waving sketches at each other.

"Kagome-sama?" Miroku enquired.

"Kagome-chan, what are you doing?" Sango was bewildered and Shippo shared in the same confused expression.

When Sango cleared her throat (for the fourth time) they seemed to realise they were no longer alone and pulled away from each other slightly. Kagome looked sheepish; Sesshoumaru just looked cool and collected, as always.

Kagome and Inuyasha settled down across the camp from Sesshoumaru with Rin and Shippo. They had taken to all sleeping together in Kagome's sleeping bag. How they all managed to fit was anyone's guess.

Shippo curled into a ball around her head, Inuyasha caged in her soft motherly arms and Rin slept with her forehead pressed to the miko's back, a hand entwined with her long ebony locks. It seemed all of the children found comfort in the miko; they treated her as if she was their mother and she treated them as her children.

His ward benefitted from her care and attention; not matter how much he cared for the child he would never be as competent at showing his emotions as Kagome was. Nor was he sure he would be comfortable showering her with affection in the same way that Kagome did.

He enjoyed teasing the Miko, it was his new favourite hobby. In the two months that had passed it was one past time he used to occupy himself. And truly, it was incredibly amusing to tease the feisty little Miko. He'd never known another woman quite like her.

Each new reaction to his teasing made him want to push her more... he wondered how she would respond to a different, more intimate, form of teasing.

Those thoughts were quickly dismissed, after all he was Taiyokai and she was ningen, such things were impossible. Definitely.

As the camp fell silent and most had succumbed to the lull of sleep the Taiyokai spoke his wicked, taunting words to the slumbering miko.

"Goose"

Kagome growled in her sleep and his golden eyes glowed with mirth in the darkness.

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha.


	4. Sesshoumaru's Private Game

Inuyasha, much to Sesshoumaru's dismay, soon discovered the sacred art of peek-a-boo. In the ten weeks that had passed since the curse, and, of all the games Kagome had taught the young Hanyou, peek-a-boo was by far his favourite.

He delighted in playing the game, almost constantly playing it with Rin or Kagome. Inuyasha had tried to engage Sesshoumaru in the sport, but the Taiyokai had just glared the pup down.

The child soon became dissatisfied with merely the covering of the eyes, and Sesshoumaru watched in amused interest, as the Hanyou, once Kagome covered her eyes, crawled into the bushes as fast as he could.

The look of absolute bewilderment on Kagome's face when she uncovered her eyes earned a small chuckle from Sesshoumaru.

"Inu-chan?" worry laced her voice and sparked in her eyes. Sesshoumaru frowned at the pang of guilt he felt for finding her previous expression amusing.

"He is hiding inside that bush" Sesshoumaru declared.

Glowering at the Taiyokai for allowing the child to get away like that, Kagome delved into the bushes after the wayward pup.

Instantly, Sesshoumaru became immensely grateful to his brother as a tiny, satisfied smirk settled across his features. Seeing the Miko bent over, her ass wriggling in the air, in the traditions of his people, was a sight he would gladly look upon again and again. Though he wasn't really sure why...

The indecent skirt she wore made his perusal all the more satisfying. He could, if he tilted his head just so, see the secret skin where her bottom met the tops of her thighs. Silently he wondered if he could perhaps trim her skirt when he was sleeping; it would be worth the view. Maybe he would be allowed his prize if she just shifted slightly that way...

Sesshoumaru's vision was suddenly blocked as something small clamped itself over his face. Peeling the hindrance away, he gazed into the huge golden orbs of his baby brother and scowled at him. Blinking innocently, Inuyasha bit Sesshoumaru's nose with his tiny fangs.

Releasing the nose Inuyasha giggled. "Boo!" he declared belatedly.

"Indeed" Sesshoumaru responded in a bored tone, distancing himself from the babe as he tried to latch onto Sesshoumaru's nose once more.

"Inu-chan!" Kagome gushed happily. "That's less peek-a-boo and more Teething with the Taiyokai"

Delicately, Sesshoumaru placed Inuyasha on the ground. This was bizarrely considerate of him, one would assume he would have merely dropped the nose biting child, a week ago he had shown no qualms about playing Inu-piñata with Bakusaiga.

Inuyasha giggled and covered his eyes with his pudgy hands. Sesshoumaru sighed.

The pup was undeterred by Sesshoumaru's rebellion against peek-a-boo and simply tried again.

"Why won't you play peek-a-boo Sesshoumaru?" Kagome inquired innocently.

The smirk that lit his face, however, was not quite so innocent. It was enough to make Kagome gulp uneasily for reasons she didn't completely understand.

"I play, I play when I am tempted" his voice was oddly husky and Kagome watched, fascinated as his eyes smouldered. She had never really seen any emotion except anger in those orbs before, perhaps being around the group and his love for Rin had thawed him a little.

Kagome blushed hotly under his intense gaze and, picking up Inuyasha like a Hanyou-shield, she wondered why he was staring at her in that way.

Sesshoumaru had not told a lie, he did in fact indulge in the art of peek-a-boo every night. It was not his concern that the group was already asleep when he played.

Watching over Kagome and the children as they slept in the seemingly bottomless sleeping bag, he waited patiently. The Miko, he had discovered, tossed and turned constantly as she slept, couple that with her indecent night-shirt and Sesshoumaru was privy to his own peek-a-boo game.

Right on schedule, Kagome flipped onto her side and wriggled in her sleeping bag as one thin strap started its slow descent along a pale shoulder.

Sesshoumaru's darkened at one dusky nipple peeked from the light material of her shirt. She wriggled again and the delectable little morsel was once more obscured from his greedy eyes.

Ah, his private game of peek-a-boo, how he loved it. Not that he would tell anyone that, he preferred a private showing.

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha.


	5. Take It Off!

Kagome woke from her slumber as a shadow flitted across her form.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome questioned groggily.

"Miko, you must stay here." Was all he said before he vanished from her sleep befuddled vision.

Waking up fully, Kagome glowered as she realised he was probably going to go and kill some rogue Yokai he had scented. On his own. Was he stupid? Arrogant did not mean all powerful, what if something happened to him?

Jeez, it was like Inuyasha all over again.

"Sango, look after Inu-chan. I have to catch a Taiyokai." Kagome called out as she raced off in the direction of Sesshoumaru's retreating form.

Following the call of his aura, she eventually found him stood on the embankment of a river.

"I told you to stay" he remarked without turning around to look at her. He shook his claws free of the unfortunate former demon's guts and Kagome studied the acidic puddle he had left behind.

"I am not some trained lapdog Sesshoumaru" Kagome huffed as she picked her way down the hill towards him "I don't stay just because you tell me to."

"Such ridiculous notions will see to your death" he glared at her.

"And listening to what everyone says wouldn't?" she asked "I suppose Naraku would be amused if the next time he shouted 'die' I actually dropped dead"

Sesshoumaru growled his irritation. She paid him no mind; she had just discovered the tiny row boat floating on the river.

Ignoring Sesshoumaru's wince, Kagome squealed and clapped her hands in excitement. "Is this why you left? A boat?" she became confused and wrinkled her nose at him.

"It is Rin's boat" he declared.

"Huh?"

"I made the boat for Rin because she desired it" he stated "I scented two rabbit Yokai trying to pilfer it and convinced them to leave"

She could imagine how _convincing_ Sesshoumaru could be with perfect clarity. But she was still confused.

"You made it?" she asked, blinking in shock. "You built a boat?"

Her haphazard mind became very helpful by suggesting an image of Sesshoumaru, clad only in low slung jeans and a tool belt, wielding a power drill. It was equal parts fascinating and disturbing. Disturbing because she'd dared think it and hadn't melted into a puddle of teenage hormones.

"Yes."

"But you would've gotten dirty!" she exclaimed. "And it would have been menial labour!"

"Do you think me incompetent?" he asked dangerously.

Hastily, she backtracked. "No! No, I merely meant that it seemed strange."

"How so?"

"You're usually so anal."

Her modern lingo earned her a bewildered look; her eyes widened and she blushed to the roots of her hair.

Had she just used the word anal in the western lord's presence? Apparently so. She wondered if it were possible for her to think before talking; it was going to probably get her beheaded by a certain demon lord very soon.

"I didn't mean it like that!" she waved a hand as if trying to shoo away the comment. "It's a saying from my era, is all! I just meant that you are always so obsessively perfect. I would have thought the idea of getting dirty would horrify you."

Not to mention that his perpetually sparkling kimono had to be incredibly hard to clean.

He frowned at her "It takes a lot to horrify this one."

Feeling his questioning stare upon her she flushed again and dropped her gaze to the eggshell blue rowing boat.

She became dubious. It looked disconcertingly flimsy.

"Can it actually float with someone in it?" Kagome asked sceptically, "It looks like it's made out of paper."

He sniffed haughtily at her insinuation that his craftsmanship was faulty.

"It is a perfectly worthy vessel." he declared, his chin lifted as he dared her to defy his word.

She smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "Prove it."

For sadistic reasons unknown to her she desperately wanted to see Sesshoumaru try to fit into the tiny little boat.

He raised an eyebrow at her challenge. "Very well."

That was the reply she had expected, Sesshoumaru was not one to turn down a challenge.

What she was not expecting was for the mighty Taiyokai to pick her up and drop her into the boat with him.

The boat was made for one smaller than them, so Kagome ended up sat, with her back to Sesshoumaru's chest, trapped in between his long legs.

"Are you crazy?" she demanded as he began to row the boat gently down the stream.

He did not reply, not that she had really expected him to, and merely kept rowing rhythmically. Kagome sulked.

Even if Kagome was angry at the demon she couldn't help but feel safe encompassed in his hold; protected. Which was peculiar considering their past together. But, then again, most of her friends in this era had tried to kill her at one point. It seemed dismemberment was the feudal equivalent to a handshake.

"Do you actually have a destination in mind or are we just drifting aimlessly?" Kagome queried.

"The meadow is this way" his answer was concise, not inviting conversation. Kagome sighed and attempted to lean back against his chest only to be rebuffed by the deadly armour spikes.

"Ow!"

He smirked.

"Take it off." she ordered imperiously.

"Are you demanding that the lord of the west disrobe for you?" was his acerbic remark.

She flushed hotly, thankful that he couldn't see her face. Unbeknownst to her he could feel the heating of her cheeks and smirked at affecting her so.

"I just meant that it's uncomfortable." she protested softly, glowering at his right knee.

"You may remove the breast plate should you so desire." he acquiesced.

She smiled slightly and turned to remove the monstrosity. The boat was so small that she nearly popped her spine out of place as she turned in her seat to undo the ties holding the armour in place.

She frowned as she scoured his form to find the ties that kept his armour to his chest. They weren't exactly easy to find. Eventually she found one on his shoulder and set about removing it... to nearly get staked in the head by his spikes. She leant backwards so fast that the tiny boat rocked violently.

"Are you trying to kill me?" she growled.

He smirked in his most sadistic manner.

"Don't answer that" she grumbled.

After a few more minutes of quite rowing and Kagome fighting with the ties on his shoulder, Sesshoumaru sighed his irritation "Are you really so inept that you cannot untie a chest plate?"

"Well it's not like these things are common in my time."

"That is no excuse for you, a Miko, who spends most of her time here".

Her she cocked a brow "Are you suggesting I practise on someone? Don't you think they might get the wrong idea?"

He growled at her impertinence and she giggled triumphantly.

Turning around to face him, the boat shook violently once again, rocking from side to side erratically. Sesshoumaru grinned sadistically as the boat rocked fitfully; the Miko, with her bizarre positioning, was going to fall in the river.

The smirk was quickly wiped from his face as the Miko grabbed two handfuls of his silky hair and yanked him into the water. The poor boat, unaccustomed to such treatment, abruptly overturned in the water.

There was a strangled shriek of inarticulate panic as both the Miko and the Taiyokai fell into the murky river with an almighty splash.

A heron watched with confused interest as the surface settled, the ripples fading away and waited cautiously for the two clumsy land animals to emerge.

Kagome broke the surface first, arching out of the surprisingly deep water and tossing her sopping hair out of her face, she terrified the heron into fleeing.

Floating there, treading water, she glanced around the water for some sign of her Taiyokai companion. The water was murky, her water logged eyes were straining to find some sort of sign, but she couldn't see him.

She began to scan the water more erratically. She imagined what she was feeling was in some way analogous to the victims in that movie 'Jaws'. The fact that she couldn't see the deadly predator was not a comforting thought at all, additionally, she had just been responsible for throwing him in a river, and she doubted he was in a good mood.

Feeling a sharp pain in the region of her left buttock, she slapped her hands over it and squealed as Sesshoumaru emerged from the water smoothly.

"Did you just bite me?" she demanded, gripping her bottom with wide eyes.

Sesshoumaru cocked an eyebrow and sneered at her. "My palate is too refined for Miko."

"Are you saying I'd taste bad?" she demanded, outraged.

"You are completely confusing." he sighed. "Such a strange little Miko."

"I'm not little!"

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha. Hope you enjoyed this instalment. Did he bite her? Who knows, this is Sesshoumaru after all, the human hating demon lord who adopted a human, personally I don't think anyone can predict his actions.


	6. United

Slowly, the sun descended in the sky, speckling it with purple spirals and turning it a dark pink almost dusky red colour.

Sango and Miroku were sat suspiciously close together with Kirara curled in her mistress's lap. Rin and Shippo were terrorising Jaken, again, and Kagome had been watching Inuyasha crawl towards her.

When inevitable disaster struck Kagome could've slapped herself; she had forgotten what time of the month it was until the sun had set and the change had been upon them.

The poor, bewildered babe looked helplessly up at Kagome as his ears slithered down the sides of his head and changed form, his pointy little fangs receded into his gums and his claws retracted into his hands.

Abruptly the crawling baby was prostrated on his front and wailing his head off, unsure as to what had happened.

He was instantly swooped upon by a distraught Kagome who clutched him to her chest and sat in her sleeping bag with him throughout the night. She sang softly and the members of the camp all fell asleep to her little ditty that seemed to loop on itself every now and then.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are, up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky, twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are."

The babe was not convinced that everything was fine and completely disorientated, it continued to cry throughout her song.

Eventually, when everyone had fallen asleep except the Miko, Taiyokai and the Hanyou, Kagome gave up sitting still and, swaddling the babe in another blanket, she got to her feet and walked to the Goshinboku where Sesshoumaru sat.

He looked up at her quizzically and she smiled at the baby. "See Inu-chan? Do you see those stars? Twinkling just for you." she nuzzled his cheek. "Even if there is no moon there's always a crescent moon waiting for you." she smiled at Sesshoumaru who quirked a brow.

"He will probably be like that all night." he spoke softly so as not to further startle the child. Sesshoumaru was sure that if Inuyasha got any louder his ears would begin to bleed.

"I know" she shrugged and looked at him speculatively. "Would you sit cross-legged for a moment?"

He manoeuvred his long legs until he was sitting as instructed and started in surprise as the Miko settled herself in his lap.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she wriggled about a bit and shushed the baby. Not to mention what was he doing? She had asked him to sit cross-legged and he had obeyed without thought. Since when did he take orders from small, loud, pretty Miko's?

And when had he decided she was pretty?

But he had to admit in the soft light of the stars and the glow of the fire the Miko's beauty was only enhanced. The fire light caused her hair to shine and flicker with vibrancy and her tired eyes danced in the starlight.

"He's attached to me and you," Kagome explained shortly. "I thought it'd be a good idea for both of us to hold him."

"Hn." he said grouchily.

"Will you take your armour off?" she asked softly.

He snorted. "I'd rather you try, last time was quite amusing."

"Just because there isn't a large body of water here doesn't mean you are impervious to my wrath." she warned.

He was unimpressed "And what, pray tell, can a Miko of questionable sanity do to this one?"

"Get you a choke chain?" she threatened sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him.

He wasn't sure what a choke chain was but, judging by the look on her face, it wasn't anything nice.

"It's okay baby" she cooed to the fitfully whimpering child. "I've got you."

Sesshoumaru frowned at the baby, who, with red rimmed eyes, stared back up at him and Sesshoumaru brushed the tip of a claw along a bright red, tear stained, cheek.

The baby snuffled and grabbed onto a strand of his hair yanking harshly.

"And you think he likes this one" he stated acerbically.

She smiled "He means 'I love you'." she insisted.

"So when you pulled my hair in the boat, did it mean the same?" he asked leaning his chin atop her head as she turned five different shades of red.

"No!" she gasped out "no way, no way on this earth."

She knew, even in her own mind, that her denial was slightly over done, but she couldn't help it. Those fantasies she had been having recently made her feel very guilty at his insinuation.

"This one wonders if you protest too much." he mused.

"You're infuriating." she growled.

"As are you." he replied shortly.

"Argh." she fumed.

"Hush little Miko." he spoke softly.

"Why?" she growled.

"The pup is asleep." he replied gently. Glancing down she smiled gently at the sleeping child; he held a strand of her hair in his left hand and a strand of Sesshoumaru's in his right.

United by Inuyasha. That was a strange thought...

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha.


	7. Sweet Perversion

Rin, who was learning under Kagome's supervision to read, procured her very own book on cakes and the poems and such that tied with them. The Miko and Rin spent hours of each day sat together under a tree reading about the sweet treats from the future that Rin had become obsessed with.

She adored the recipes and laughed her way through the stories of talking cakes, the poems and anything else her magical book imparted upon her. Inuyasha also seemed to like the book, whenever Rin would bring it out he would sit on her knee, bite his fist and listen to her a she read aloud.

Shippo too took some interest in the book, mostly when they were making the special cakes from the recipe section; they were delicious!

The child had skipped up to him nary three days ago and asked, with a serious expression, if he had ever tasted a fairy before. The Miko had hastily had to explain to the light-hearted child that a 'fairy cake' didn't actually comprise of fairies. Sesshoumaru had told the Miko that fairies were too sinewy for his taste and she had promptly choked on air.

That had been amusing.

"What's this Kagome-neechan?" the girl held up the book to her peer and grinned in her gap-toothed fashion.

Kagome relieved the child of the large purple book and inspected the page.

"It's a game" Kagome revealed "an old clapping game, let me show you."

Kagome proceeded to show the entranced girl the simple movements of the pat-a-cake clapping game. Rin was spellbound.

"I want to teach it to Inu-chan!" she sang and laughed as the small child went cross-eyed and fell over backwards onto the grass with soft thump.

"Hmm" Kagome giggled "I don't think Inu-chan is in the mood for pat-a-cake."

"Miroku's favourite game is pat-a-cake" Shippo confided as he settled onto Kagome's shoulder.

"How'd you work that one out?" Kagome asked with interest.

"Miroku says Sango's bottom is delicious like your cakes." Shippo pointed out his face crumpling in concentration as he tried to remember the lecher's words. "That he 'wanted to sink his teeth into it' and she slaps his cheek for clapping on her bottom, isn't that like pat-a-cake?"

Kagome laughed at the kitsune's somewhat accurate comparison and blushed slightly "Maybe you shouldn't listen to what Miroku says so often."

Then, grinning at Sesshoumaru, she muttered "I guess he's right, after all he does want a baby in the oven."

Sesshoumaru raised a brow in question at her colloquialism and she laughingly waved him off.

Miroku grinned over at them from the opposite end of camp, how he had heard them was anyone's guess. Flexing his 'cursed' hand he reached down for the kill and smirked at the squeak his prey emitted.

Slap.

He fell off the log with the force of the slayer's blow and grinned mischievously.

"Did you just spank me?" an irate, not to mention embarrassed Sango demanded "You sink to new levels of depravity every day monk."

He chuckled "But my dear Sango, I was merely practising this pat-a-cake that Rin has been playing."

"There are no levels that monk wouldn't sink to." Sesshoumaru observed.

Kagome nodded wryly "As long as Sango's bottom is the prize."

They watched in amusement as Sango proceeded to make Miroku repent for his sins with the sharp part of her Hiraikotsu. The monk begged forgiveness but the Taijiya was unrepentant.

Her quest for justice fuelled by her stinging bottom.

Later, as the three ningen females, one Kitsune and one baby Hanyou settled into the spring Kagome giggled.

Sango growled at her, she couldn't sit in the water due to her rather sore ass; it seemed Miroku's new obsession with spanking was only fuelled by her ire, and for every hit she had gotten in with her Hiraikotsu he had slapped her poor bottom.

"What's wrong Sango-oneesama?" Rin asked innocently as she dropped, with a slight splash, into the water.

Sango blushed gently "Nothing Rin-chan."

Kagome chuckled "Yeah, right."

She got splashed for her efforts which resulted in a squeal. This led to the timely involvement of the Kitsune and soon it had devolved into a water fight of epic proportions whilst Inuyasha lay on the bank of the onsen clapping his chubby hands ecstatically.

Meanwhile, in camp, Miroku was sat opposite the Yokai lord. They were engaged in a tense silence as the monk tried to figure out how to best surpass the demon to ogle the women whilst the Yokai wondered if the man didn't have some sort of death wish.

Sesshoumaru had already apprehended Miroku twice as the monk tried to _innocently_ scuttle away, it was becoming outlandish.

Miroku suddenly pinned the lord with a shrewd look.

"You can hear them can't you?" he asked

"Every word."

"What are they doing?"

Sesshoumaru smirked sadistically "There is splashing, laughing and squealing."

Miroku groaned such an irresistible visual and yet with a guard dog like Sesshoumaru he was never going to get close enough to enjoy it.

Yokai killjoy.

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha. This prompt was the hardest one to mould my story to, but tell me what you thought.


	8. Guilty Illness

Sesshoumaru was beginning to think that the kamis had it out for him.

The bedlam had started for the demon lord earlier in the week. A self proclaimed 'Master of Potions' had waltzed into camp and told Sesshoumaru he was going to face 'certain doom' and had the audacity to call him a 'vile demon'.

Predictably enough, Sesshoumaru had dispatched the mouthy human in record breaking time, but not before the old man threw some kind of pocket full of posies at the demon. The strange pouch had not influenced Sesshoumaru but a few days later he began to see the effects on the rest of the ramshackle group.

Apparently, though the potion was powerful, it could not affect the demon lord. In fact, it only seemed to affect the humans in the group.

The monk was the first to fall ill, rapidly followed by the slayer and then his child ward. Kagome held out the longest, taking it upon herself to dote upon the sick humans. Eventually, however, even the Miko had to admit it was too much for her and she took to her sleeping roll like the rest of them. That was what put Sesshoumaru in his most undignified position of designated healer and babysitter.

Not only did he have to hunt down the herbs the Miko told him would help with the illness, he had to cook for them, hunt for them, provide care for the toddler Inuyasha, make sure the Kitsune didn't drive himself to distraction because he had no one to play with and he had to put up with the scent of them when they threw up. That was possibly the worst part after being at their beck and call.

For the most part they seemed too sickly to be taking any kind of sadistic pleasure out of being able to order a Taiyokai around like he was a common slave. Sometimes, however, he would catch a certain satisfied smirk on the Miko's lips that drove him to distraction.

She knew he loathed looking after them and she was enjoying his discomfort. And yet he couldn't call her on it; she was ill.

This, he reminded himself, was why he disliked ningens so much; they were so weak. A mere Kit was immune to a potion that adult humans couldn't stomach; it was disgraceful. And yet, as he watched his newly adopted pack, he couldn't help but see them as frail and in need of protection rather than weak and burdensome as he probably should have.

Damn those traitorous emotions. He swore they waited until he was unaware and pounced upon him gleefully.

He knelt beside the Miko, scowling as he realised what he was doing; to kneel to a mere Miko was unbecoming of one of his stature. If the lords of Yokai court could see him now, he would be cast out faster than his father was for mating Izayoi. He carefully removed the damp cloth from her forehead and tested for her temperature with his fingers. He had to admit, even if it was only to himself. That he enjoyed attending to this patient more than he did the others. She was not so much a chore more of a guilty, hidden pleasure.

She moaned slightly when his cold fingers touched her simmering forehead and opened her soft blue eyes to great him.

"Hey" she murmured before giving a tiny dainty sneeze.

"Hn"

"That feels good" she pressed his hand more securely to her face with one delicate, pale hand that was burning hot.

"Hn"

"Can I have some water" she asked tentatively.

Resisting the urge to growl at yet another reminder that he was at her beck and call, he walked away and reappeared with the water for her.

"Thank you" she whispered as she gave the water back to the Taiyokai.

"Hn"

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Yes Miko?"

"Can I ask you a favour?"

"And what might the favour be?"

"Can I sleep on your lap tonight?"

He didn't know whether it was the way she bit her lips, the fact that her cheeks were bright red and her eyes dazed or it he was merely going certifiably soft, but he acquiesced to her demand.

And that was why, a few hours later, Sesshoumaru was found sitting under his favourite tree with the Miko's head on his lap, her eyes closed in a deep recuperative sleep. A long fingered hand was entwined in the Miko's hair and his other was holding her small hand within his own as he rubbed his thumb along the back of it.

He didn't remember consciously telling his hands to do that, but he was in no hurry to move them either.

That, in itself, was deeply unsettling to the Yokai lord.

But it didn't affect him as much as he had assumed it would...

Little did he know that Kagome was awake; almost fully recovered and enjoying every moment of his attentions.

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha. Thanks for reading and please review.


	9. An End and a Beginning

Sunset sent crawling tendrils of purple off-shot with red twisting through the sky. The air became cooler and more biting, Sesshoumaru relocated to the crest of the hill to meditate on the tree stump situated there.

Two children watched him carefully.

"Even when I throw acorns at him he doesn't move!" Shippo informed Rin conspiratorially.

"When Sesshoumaru-sama sits like that he never moves." Rin confided.

"Is he sleeping?" Shippo asked curiously.

"I don't think so." Rin pondered her lord for a moment and then shrugged blithely.

"Maybe if we dropped a bucket of water on him from that tree..." Shippo mused as he inspected said branch.

"What are you plotting now Shippo?" an amused Kagome asked, her smirk widening when the two children twirled to look at her guiltily.

"Nothing Kagome." Shippo scuffed his foot in the dirt and looked up at her innocently.

She ruffled his hair "Of course you were" she winked at him. "Go bug Miroku for a while, ne?"

Grinning, they obeyed and scampered off towards the others happily.

Sesshoumaru heard the quiet crunch of feet against grass and ascertained that the Miko was approaching. Her scent caressed the area fanning out to surround him comfortingly.

"What was the Kitsune planning?" Sesshoumaru asked softly.

Kagome smiled; it seemed he was impossible to sneak up on the Inu lord.

"Something to do with some water and that tree." Kagome pointed at the innocent looking tree bowed over Sesshoumaru.

He frowned at the tree and Kagome grinned. It seemed not even Sesshoumaru could intimidate something as unmoving as a tree.

She slowly folded her body into shape beside him, but on the ground, and tried unsuccessfully to assume the lotus position.

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "I doubt you will be able to achieve it."

"Never say never!" she scolded.

He watched the young Miko as she tried, and failed spectacularly, to fold herself into the correct position. Eventually she got stuck, overbalanced, and rolled sideways like a Miko in a barrel. He snorted and rolled her back to sitting using her neckerchief.

She grinned sheepishly and, sighing, he folded her legs the right way round.

"Ow!" she protested "that doesn't bend that way!"

"Cease and desist." he stubbornly stopped her escape and made her assume the correct position.

"I can do it!" she enthused.

He scoffed "Indeed."

"Why meditate?" she asked.

"A clear head is essential in battle young one" he raised an eyebrow "perhaps you would benefit from listening to that piece of advice."

She smirked "And what about in your father's tomb when you transformed? Thinking with a clear head then were you?"

He pursed his lips and glared down his nose at her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

He tossed his hair and it whipped her in the face.

"That was childish!"

"You would know, you are, after all, gifted in the art of childishness."

"I resent that!"

"You frequently end arguments by stomping your foot."

"That was just once! You're the one who tried to put me in a boat half your size."

"A boat that you broke due to your inability to sit still."

"I did not!"

"Denying obvious facts does not erase them from the past."

"You are insufferable!"

"Hn, I could return that compliment unto you."

Kagome blinked at him for a few seconds before her face softened into a whimsical half-smile. Sesshoumaru's obstinate expression relaxed and he tilted his head in question.

"What is it, Miko?"

"You're arguing with me."

"I am aware of that," he replied mordantly.

She smiled. "Four months ago you didn't even speak to me; any words that you did utter were along the lines of 'die Inuyasha'. But now you're joking with me."

He snorted. "You made the mistake of thinking me capable of emotions, I am capable of them which is why I repress them; a clear mind is key Miko."

"Do you have a clear mind right now?" she asked softly.

He shook his head gracefully. "Not since your arrival into my life."

She blushed slightly. "Is that a bad thing?"

He tilted his head to gaze at the setting sun for a long moment. "I don't believe so... not anymore."

Her smile was blinding.

The observers smiled in synchronicity.

"What do think he said to make her smile like that?" Sango asked wistfully.

"Maybe..." Miroku was unconscious before his wandering hand could make contact.

"Save it monk."

"Kagome-neechan sure looks happy." Rin gushed

"Keh, the two idiots are finally doing something about it!"

The group of eavesdropper's froze at the voice and, as if choreographed, turned as one towards the voice.

Inuyasha was sat on the ground beneath the Goshinboku, retying his haori. His ears flicked and his eyes were noticeably softer than before his curse.

"You aren't angry that Kagome and Sesshoumaru-sama are closer now?" Sango ventured cautiously.

"If I was still angry I wouldn't be fixed." He shrugged. "It did take me a while there, but I guess I grew up enough."

Sesshoumaru heard his brother's commentary and smiled slightly. Yes, he was glad the Hanyou seemed to be calmer.

"Ne, Sesshoumaru."

He turned his attention back to the Miko in time for her to place a tiny kiss on the end of his nose. Blinking in shock he surveyed the blushing Miko.

"Miko?"

"I figured if I was going to be the black sheep... I might as well bring you with me!"

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha and I hope you enjoyed this last instalment.


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